it's not a bad idea ... if the gov't is going to pay for universal health care, than they are going to want to ensure people are taking better care of themselves ... taxing things like soda, cigs, alcohol is a good idea .. they are not saying you can't consume them, you are just gonna pay extra ......

So, you don't believe that people should be free to live their lives as they see fit and instead should have their lifestyles dictated to them by the government? Because that sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me, not a free society.

If the government thinks that socialized medicine gives it the right to tell it's citizens what they are or are not allowed to eat, then I think that's one of the greatest arguments against socialized medicine.

I've lived in a free country my whole life, so just the notion that someone out there thinks this is a good idea is kind of frightening. Personally, I prefer freedom to a nanny state.

So, you don't believe that people should be free to live their lives as they see fit and instead should have their lifestyles dictated to them by the government? Because that sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me, not a free society.

If the government thinks that socialized medicine gives it the right to tell it's citizens what they are or are not allowed to eat, then I think that's one of the greatest arguments against socialized medicine.

I've lived in a free country my whole life, so just the notion that someone out there thinks this is a good idea is kind of frightening. Personally, I prefer freedom to a nanny state.

so you are saying this is the very first thing any government has ever taxed?

so you are saying this is the very first thing any government has ever taxed?

Clearly that's not what I'm saying at all:

Quote:

Originally Posted by NateR

But this wouldn't be the first time that lawmakers have proposed some bizarre taxes. I once read that Benjamin Franklin proposed a tax on curtains and window-blinds to prevent people from sleeping when the sun was up.

well it sure seems like it...governments from all over the world are constantly trying to increase tax revenue in anyway they can and as far as taxes go this one is not bad at all,
and besides they aren't telling you not to drink soda they are just taking advantage of the fact that you do drink soda,